How Retin A can benefit your skin by reducing wrinkles and fine lines

Retin A is essentially a form of vitamin A. It was originally prescribed as a topical treatment for acne but it wasn’t long before the effects it had on ageing were spotted and now dermatologists, particularly is the US are prescribing it for it’s anti-ageing benefits.

It has a dramatic effect on fine lines, deeper wrinkles, dark pigmentation and even diminishing large pores. People on non-advertising blogs reporting that people regularly mistake them for being 10 years younger or sometimes more!

So why aren’t we all applying Retin A like it’s going out of fashion? Well there are a couple of reasons really, the most obvious of which is that it is not available to buy over the counter.

In the UK you must have a prescription for Retin A and you G.P. is unlikely to write you a prescription for it- unless of course you are suffering from a serious outbreak of acne. Lots of products on the chemists shelves claim to contain similar sounding ingredients such as Retinal A but these Retinol based ingredients are not the same at all.

Although both products are types of vitamin A, Retin A is a very different, more intense ingredient. For more information please read our article on Retinol.

People in the UK have been ordering the product online from countries such as Mexico where it is possible to buy the product without a prescription. There are of course well known risks when ordering prescription medications online.

Retin A can also be more irritating to the skin. Some redness to the skin and an amount of flakiness is to be expected but others have more extreme reactions to the product though there are steps that you can take to prevent or minimise the irritation.

Such steps include applying the product every other night and applying the product very thinly. The cream can also be prescribed in different strengths so start with a very mild dose and gradually increase as your skin becomes accustomed to it. The redness and irritation should subside after a period of regular use but be kind to your skin and take your time.

As when using a retinol based product, it is even more vital you use a very high factor sunscreen as your skin will be more susceptible to sun damage. Sun damage is one of the biggest forms of premature skin aging.